Giberto Mora Breaks 96-Year-Old Record, Becomes Youngest Player To..

Published 11 June 2026 · world

Giberto Mora Breaks 96-Year-Old Record, Becomes Youngest Player To... Published By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 03:25 IST At the age of 17 years and

Giberto Mora Breaks 96-Year-Old Record, Becomes Youngest Player To... Published By, Last Updated: June 12, 2026, 03:25 IST At the age of 17 years and 240 days, Mora became the youngest Mexican player and the sixth-youngest player overall to make a FIFA World Cup appearance. Gilberto Mora becomes 6th youngest player to make FIFA World Cup debut. (Picture Credit: AP) Mexico faced South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday (June 11) and secured a 2-0 victory at Mexico City Stadium. Julian Quiñones scored the opening goal for the hosts, while veteran striker Raúl Jiménez added a second in the 67th minute. However, a minute before Jiménez doubled Mexico’s lead, Gilberto Mora entered the field and, by making his FIFA World Cup debut in front of the home crowd, broke a 96-year-old record. At the age of 17 years and 240 days, Mora became the youngest Mexican player and the sixth-youngest player overall to make a FIFA World Cup appearance.

🎥🇲🇽 Gilberto Mora vs SudáfricaDebut Mundial 2026 – 17 años y 240 días – Jugador más joven del Mundialpic.twitter.com/q4jE7fPIRg — La Perla (@Perla_Londres) June 11, 2026 The previous record for the youngest Mexican to play in a World Cup belonged to Manuel Rosas, who had held the distinction since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930. The overall record for the youngest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup match is held by Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside. Whiteside was just 17 years and 41 days old when he made his World Cup debut against Yugoslavia at La Romareda in Zaragoza on June 17, 1982. Youngest players to make FIFA World Cup debut RANK PLAYER COUNTRY OPPOSITION DATE AGE OF DEBUT 1. Norman Whiteside Northern Ireland Yugoslavia 17 June 1982 17 years, 41 days 2. Samuel Eto’o Cameroon Italy 17 June 1998 17 years, 99 days 3. Femi Opabunmi Nigeria England 12 June 2002 17 years, 101 days 4.

Salomon Olembé Cameroon Austria 11 June 1998 17 years, 185 days 5. Pelé Brazil USSR 15 June 1958 17 years, 235 days 6. Gilberto Mora Mexico South Africa 11 June 2026 17 years, 240 days 7. Bartholomew Ogbeche Nigeria Argentina 2 June 2002 17 years, 244 days 8. Rigobert Song Cameroon Sweden 20 June 1994 17 years, 354 days 9. Youssoufa Moukoko Germany Japan 23 November 2022 18 years, 3 days 10. Carvalho Leite Brazil Bolivia 20 July 1930 18 years, 25 days On the list of the youngest players to feature in a FIFA World Cup match, Whiteside is followed by Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Nigeria’s Femi Opabunmi, Cameroon’s Salomon Olembe, and Brazilian legend Pelé. Who is Gilberto Mora? Gilberto Mora is a 17-year-old footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Liga MX club Tijuana and the Mexican national team. Since making his international debut in 2025, he has featured in nine matches for Mexico.